


Strength, Passion & Eloquence

by mggislife2789



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Comfort, F/F, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 01:58:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13730697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mggislife2789/pseuds/mggislife2789
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original stories. This is only for fun. It's where my brain goes after the credits roll. No copyright intended. Better safe than sorry. ;)





	Strength, Passion & Eloquence

The case was closed and the paperwork was finished. Thank god. As JJ made her way up the stairs, she was finally able to relax. It was difficult to not take her work home with her, but she was making more of a concerted effort lately to leave work where it was meant to be. She could so easily delve deep into the abyss, but if she allowed that, she would never be able to crawl out of the rabbit hole.

She walked into the apartment and closed the door behind her only to see Y/N with papers sprawled out in front of her. It definitely wasn’t an uncommon picture. “Hey, honey. How are you?”

The second Y/N turned around JJ could tell she was overwhelmed. Her eyes were glistening. JJ knew the look well - it was the one that Y/N wore anytime she felt like she wasn’t doing enough for the kids she taught. “I’m okay.”

Well, that was a lie.

“You’re not,” JJ sighed, taking a seat behind her on the couch. “What are you working on?”

“Grading essays.” Y/N swallowed hard against the threatening tears. 

“Take a break for a few minutes,” JJ said, her arms snaking around her neck from behind. She grasped Y/N’s shoulders and did her best to massage the tension out, but she was massively pent up. “Talk to me and tell me what’s on your mind.”

She was about to protest, but she turned around and caught JJ’s eye; her girlfriend was right of course, she needed to let it all out because as of late it was eating her alive. “I just can’t take this school anymore. I hate the administration. The other teachers are absolute shit; they don’t fucking care. So I feel like I need to care for everyone, not just my own classes and my own students. I love these kids and I want to help them, but I shouldn’t have to help them all by myself because no one cares. Why does nobody care, JJ?” As she stated to cry, the pen fell from her hands and onto the floor. 

Y/N taught at one of the high schools in the city. Her kids loved her because she genuinely cared for them and their futures, but she constantly tried to take on more than she could handle; she never wanted anyone to feel like they’d been left behind, but she couldn’t do it all on her own and so many of her fellow teachers had gone into the field for the wrong reasons.

Teaching was a calling and she truly believed that if one was going into the profession for any other reason than a true desire to educate than the children suffered because of it. “I’m sorry that your co-workers are awful,” JJ finally replied. She honestly didn’t know what to say in this situation. Not really. She couldn’t say anything to make her feel better. “But you know you can’t do it all.”

“I know,” Y/N sobbed. “That’s what kills me. I have kids that are depending on me, but there literally isn’t enough of me to go around…I-I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

JJ held her as she cried, feeling the tears drop onto her hands. Leaning over, she brushed Y/N’s hair away from her neck and pressed a kiss to the soft patch of skin beneath her ear. “I know you want to do everything you possibly can for these kids, but you also need to take care of yourself. If you don’t…if you work yourself too hard, you’re not going to be able to continue doing what you’re doing.”

It wasn’t what she wanted to hear - that much JJ knew. But it was also what she needed to hear. Doing for others was a calling and a gift, but it couldn’t be kept up if those people didn’t take care of themselves first and foremost. 

“When do these papers need to be graded?”

Y/N wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and glanced at her phone; in all the mental torture she’d been putting herself through, today’s date was the last thing on her mind. “Next Wednesday latest.”

Standing up from the couch, JJ held out her hand and helped Y/N up off the floor. “Then my suggestion is that you put these papers away for the night and let me spoil you. After I spoil you, you go talk to that administrator you like, what’s her name, Bonacci?”

“Yea.”

“Tell her your fears. Tell her what you’re doing to help your students. See if there’s anyway to streamline what you’re doing so that you can maximize it all. And if worse comes to worst, tell them how disgusted you are with the other teachers and the lack of care they show these kids. Give them proof that the kids are suffering because of it,” she said as she cupped Y/N’s face. “You are eloquent, passionate and much stronger than you know. You can change things, slowly but surely, but you need to take care of yourself to do that.” Nodding, Y/N rested her forehead against JJ’s and took a deep breath.

“Okay,” she breathed. She honestly didn’t know what to do with herself, standing in the middle of the floor unmoving. “What should I do?”

“Nothing. I’m going to draw you a bath and grab you a surprise that I picked up a while ago, and while you relax with some headphones in, I’ll make dinner, or more likely I’ll order takeout. But I’ll take care of it.” JJ puckered up and kissed Y/N’s cheek. “Go inside, I’ll be right there.”

“I love you,” she said softly.

While Y/N ambled into the bathroom and disrobed, JJ found one of the bath bombs she’d bought her recently; she loved them, but wouldn’t spend the money on herself, so JJ began giving them as gifts on occasion. By the time she’d grabbed it, Y/N had already slipped into a steamy bath. “I got you a rosy bath bomb,” she said as it made a satisfactory plop into the water. “Close your eyes, put in your headphones and relax. I’ll call for food.”

Y/N smirked as JJ left the bathroom. “Definitely take out now?”

“Shut up. I’ll cook for you this weekend,” she laughed.

Outside, she pulled the Chinese food menu out of the drawer and placed their usual order before grabbing Y/N’s papers off the floor and put them into a pile out of sight - out of sight, out of mind. 

Fifty minutes, a bathtub refill and a ring of the doorbell later, Y/N emerged from the bathroom looking much more relaxed than she had when she entered. “That felt nice. Do I smell Chinese?”

“That you do, love.”

“Where are my papers?”

JJ replied quickly, wanting to wipe the papers from her mind for the time being. “They are in a pile in the corner of the room. Don’t think about them right now.”

“Okay, I’ll try.” 

As they ate their food, they spoke about her job and the constant back and forth about whether or not they should adopt a dog; right now both were on the side of yes - puppies were needed. “How about we watch a movie now?” JJ asked as she tangled her fingers in Y/N’s damp hair. “I can play with your hair too if you want.”

“Yes, please,” she said, smiling softly before adding, “And Jayge?”

“Yea?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, love. Take care of yourself. And if you won’t, then let me.”


End file.
